Image of a neighbor holding a smartphone displaying the Neighbors app feed interface.

Community Request

If you’re a Ring customer looking to learn more, please click here to view the Community Requests for Ring Neighbors article. The information below applies to public safety agencies with verified accounts.

What is a Community Request?

Community Requests is a privacy-protected service that enables public safety agencies to put out public requests for help and efficiently and securely collect and manage digital evidence. Using Axon's Evidence.com, public safety agencies can create Community Requests requesting video footage from Ring customers through the Neighbors feed. Only public safety agencies with both a Neighbors Verified account and an Axon Evidence account can use this feature.

How Community Requests Work

  1. Submission
    : Public safety agencies create a Community Request in Axon Evidence, specifying the area of interest, timeframe for requested footage, type of incident, and a message for residents.
    • Details about the incident
    • The date and timeframe for the requested footage
    • The investigator’s contact information
    • A map showing the area the request covers
  2. Moderation:
    Each request is reviewed to ensure it meets community guidelines before being published.
  3. Publication:
    Once approved, the request is posted publicly on the Neighbors feed, and Ring users within the designated area receive a notification.
  4. Response:
    Ring camera owners decide what happens next. Ring camera owners can share relevant video clips if they want to help, or simply ignore the notification.

What Residents See

When a Community Request is published, residents within the designated area will see the request in their Neighbors feed, and receive a push notification. The post will be clearly labeled with the name of your agency. The post will indicate that it is a Community Request. For example:

Screenshots from a mobile device showing how the community request work and how to respond in the Neighbors app.

How Residents Respond

Ring Customers: When a Community Request publishes to the Neighbors feed, residents with Ring devices in the relevant area will see the details of the investigation and a button labeled "Tap to Help." Selecting this button presents two options:

  • Review Your Ring Videos:
    This option allows Ring neighbors to review their recorded Ring videos from the requested timeframe and select which videos they wish to share. The selected videos are then uploaded securely and sent directly into Axon Evidence for the investigator to review.
  • Other Ways to Help:
    This option provides the resident with the investigator’s contact information, allowing them to reach out directly by phone or email, if they prefer.

Important Note: When a Ring customer voluntarily shares video footage, their home address and the email address associated with their Ring account are automatically provided to the investigator with the video.

Neighbors App Users (Non-Ring Camera Users): Residents using the Neighbors app without Ring cameras will also see the Community Request post. They can:

  • View all post details
  • Leave comments on the post
  • Contact the investigator directly by phone or email

Participation is always voluntary. Residents are never required to share any information or video footage related to a Community Request Post.

Privacy and Security

  • Public safety agencies only receive information or videos that residents voluntarily provide in response to a Community Request or public post.
  • Residents who choose to ignore or not to share their video footage will be kept private, and their information is not disclosed to the requesting public safety agency.
  • Ring does not disclose the number of Ring cameras or Neighbors users to public safety agencies, whether through Neighbors Verified or Axon Evidence.

How to Get Started with Community Requests for Your Agency

To use Community Requests, your public safety agency must have both an active Neighbors Verified account and an Axon Evidence account.

Moderation Guidelines for Community Request

To submit a Community Request, each post must follow the Neighbors by Ring Posting Guidelines to ensure clear communication and respect for privacy, with particular attention to the following points.

  1. Specify the incident type
    – Clearly identify the type of incident being investigated, such as package theft, vehicle break-ins, missing persons, or threats to personal safety. Posts about broad or non-specific suspicious activity are not permitted.
  2. Protect victim privacy
    – Unless there is an ongoing threat to physical safety, such as a missing person, or the information is publicly available, do not post specific addresses or the names of victims.
  3. Provide clear suspect descriptions
    – All suspect descriptions must help identify a specific individual - not a broad group. Race, height, age, and sex (or any combination of these) are too general for identification purposes and must be accompanied by two distinctive features, such as clothing, mode of transportation, or other unique identifiers.

General FAQs

  • What is the minimum and maximum area an agency can request footage from?
    • Requests must cover between 0.025 and 0.5 square miles.
  • What is the maximum timeframe for requested footage?
    • Agencies can request videos within a 12-hour timeframe per request.
  • Does the agency have to specify the type of incident being investigated?
    • Yes. Every Community Request must provide a clear, actionable description of the incident being investigated (e.g.
      Package Theft, Missing Person, Car Break-in, etc
      ).
  • Can agencies edit or delete a Community Request after it’s published?
    • No, once published, Community Requests cannot be edited or deleted.
  • How long can residents upload video after a Community Request is published?
    • Ring neighbors have up to 60 days to respond to a Community Request. After 60 days, the post remains visible, but no new videos can be submitted through the digital evidence management link.
  • Is an agency notified if a resident has video but does not share it?
    • No. If a resident chooses not to share video, that choice remains private, and no information is shared with public safety agencies.
  • Can a resident opt out of seeing Community Requests in the Neighbors feed?
    • Yes, neighbors can disable Community Requests in their settings.
  • What if residents want to provide information but do not have a Ring camera?
    • Residents without Ring cameras can still participate by commenting on posts and contacting investigators directly via phone or email.
  • Are Community Requests visible to users outside the requested area?
    • Community Requests are posted only to residents within the specified geographic area on the Neighbors feed; however, residents can share the post with others outside that area.

Support FAQs

Last updated 2 months ago

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